and that he subjoin the Amount of the poor Rates
for the two preceding Years ending at Michaelmas
last whereupon the Vestry Clerk wrote the following
Letter to Mr. Alderman Shaw which was approved
and ordered to be fair copied and delivered to him
forthwith by the Beadle vizt.

Sir
The Answers to the Questions sent to me by
Order of the Committee of the House of Commons
appointed to consider of the present high Price of
Provisions were

That that part of the Parish of Saint Botolph
without Aldgate which lies in the City of London raises
the necessary Monies for the relief of its poor and
maintains and employs them and acts in every other
Matter respecting them entirely independent of and
as distinct from that part of the said Parish which
lies in the County of Middlesex as if they were seperate
Parishes - That the Poor Rates in the said London part
of the said Parish are discretionary being assessed on
the several Persons rated according to their abilities
to pay as near a can be ascertained by the Vestry
regard being had at the same time to the Extant and
Situation of the Premises in their respective occupations
That the said Rates have of late very much
increased and are still rapidly increasing - That
for the half year ending the 10th. October last they
amounted to £2865-19-5 That they are not
made at any particular Sum in the pound but upon
a Calculation appear on an Average to amount
to about 6s/3d.

George Street< no role >
9th. Decr. 1800

I am Sir Yr. very hble Serv
Jas. Fisher< no role >

Mr. Alderman Shaw